Systems and methods for gaming account funding

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are disclosed for associating a player identifier with a financial account. The financial account can holds funds that are accessible through the player&#39;s use of a payment vehicle. The payment vehicle can be, for example, a credit payment vehicle or a debit payment vehicle. The player can load funds from the financial account to a wagering account.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of prior application U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/936,804, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FORGAMING ACCOUNT FUNDING,” filed on Mar. 27, 2018, which is a continuationof prior application U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/243,412,entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GAMING ACCOUNT FUNDING,” filed on Aug.22, 2016, which is a continuation-in-part of prior application U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/962,321, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODSFOR TRACKING OF NON-WAGERING ACCOUNT ASSOCIATED WITH GAMINGENVIRONMENT,” filed on Dec. 8, 2015, which is a continuation of priorapplication U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/326,596, entitled“SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRACKING OF NON-WAGERING ACCOUNT ASSOCIATEDWITH GAMING ENVIRONMENT,” filed on Jul. 9, 2014, which is a continuationof prior application U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/033,495, nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,777,725, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRACKING OFNON-WAGERING ACCOUNT ASSOCIATED WITH GAMING ENVIRONMENT,” filed on Sep.22, 2013, which claims priority to the disclosure of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 61/744,564, entitled “DUAL PREPAID/LOYALTYCARD FOR GAMING,” filed Sep. 28, 2012, the disclosures of which are allherein by incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Within gaming establishments, such as casinos, gaming devices aretypically networked via a central computer. Such configuration allowsfor the gaming establishment to monitor a player's gameplay for trackingpurposes. Gaming devices typically accept cash, coins, or paper tickets.Gaming devices also typically issue paper tickets that are redeemablefor cash. These paper tickets can be redeemed either at assisted-servicecounters (i.e., a casino cage) or through self-service computer systems,sometimes called Ticket-In-Ticket-Out (TITO) machines. Using cash orcoins for wagering can be undesirable to many patrons, as patrons maynot wish to carry cash or coins or may not be able to easily withdrawcash from various accounts. Further, drawbacks of using paper ticketsfor wagering is that the players may very easily lose tickets, ticketscan become destroyed or damaged, casinos incur cost from replenishingtickets, and casinos incur cost for maintaining ticket printers.Additionally, the use of tickets requires that operators of casinosensure that sufficient amounts of cash are available on the gaming floorto accommodate redemptions at both the assisted-service counters and theTITO machines.

With regard to casino table games, players wishing to play typicallymust first exchange cash for an amount of chips which can then be usedfor gaming. When the player wants to convert the chips back to the cash,the player typically exchanges their chips for an equivalent amount ofcash at a cashier cage at the casino. Thus, in addition to ensuresufficient cash is available for ticket redemptions, operators ofcasinos must ensure also sufficient amounts of cash are available at thecashier cage to accommodate player exchanging chips for cash. Thisprocess for routinely replenishing cash by the casino operator is bothcostly and burdensome.

Therefore, the field can benefit from systems and methods providingcashless wagering and redemption, which provides advantages to both gameplayers and casino operators.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is believed that certain embodiments will be better understood fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and inwhich:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an association between a paymentvehicle and a gaming account in accordance with one non-limitingembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A depicts an example system view and flow process utilizing thepayment vehicle of FIG. 1 in accordance with one non-limitingembodiment.

FIG. 2B depicts the system view and flow process of FIG. 2A furthercomprising a casino level player account in accordance with onenon-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of an association betweenvehicle payment vehicle and gaming account in accordance with variousnon-limiting embodiments.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates example cash flows between examplegaming accounts associated with a player and cash flows between thegaming accounts and vehicle payment vehicle issued to the player inaccordance with one non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of an example gaming system andflow process in accordance with one non-limiting embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an example arrangement of a transaction facilitatorinteracting with a gaming environment and an issuer processor computingsystem in accordance with one non-limiting embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The presently disclosed system and methods can generally allow forgaming-related financial transactions. As described in more detailbelow, utilizing a transaction facilitator, a player can selectivelytransfer funds between various types of gaming accounts and anassociated account, such as a financial account and/or a casino levelplayer account. The financial account can be a financial account that ismaintained by an issuing financial institution, with funds in thefinancial account accessible to the cardholder through an associatedpayment vehicle using open-loop or closed-loop payment processing, forexample. The payment vehicle can be any suitable payment vehicle, suchas a physical card, a virtual payment device, or have any other suitableformat. In some embodiments the payment vehicle is a credit paymentvehicle (i.e., a credit card). In some embodiments the payment vehicleis a debit payment vehicle (i.e., a debit card). The credit or debitpayment vehicle can also be embodied as a mobile payment device, such asa mobile wallet or other type of mobile payment technology. The paymentvehicle can be an open-loop payment vehicle. Being an open loop paymentvehicle, it is associated with a bank card network (MASTERCARD, VISA,DISCOVER, and so forth) and can generally be used at any merchant or ATMaccepting payment cards associated with the bank card network.

Gaming environments can utilize different types of gaming accounts, suchas casino level player accounts and/or wagering accounts. With regard towagering accounts, some types of wagering accounts are regulated byjurisdictional gaming statutes. For the purposes of illustration, threedifferent types of wagering accounts are described herein (internetgaming wagering accounts, brick-and-mortar wagering accounts, andrace-and-sports wagering accounts), although this disclosure is not solimited. In fact, the systems and methods described herein are generallyapplicable to the transfer of between any suitable wagering account andan associated financial account, or intermediary account, such as acasino level player account, as described below.

As used herein, internet gaming wagering account (or iGaming wageringaccount), generally means an electronic ledger wherein the followingtypes of transactions relative to internet or mobile gaming system arerecorded: (a) deposits; (b) withdrawals; (c) amounts wagered; (d)amounts paid on winning wagers; (e) service or other transaction-relatedcharges authorized by the patron; and (f) adjustments to the account.

As used herein, brick-and-mortar wagering account generally means anelectronic ledger for a brick-and-mortar cashless wagering system patrondeposit account wherein the following types of transactions are recordedto and from gaming devices (i.e.; slots): (a) deposits and withdrawalsof cash or cash equivalents at a designated area of accountability; (b)deposits initiated with a debit instrument; (c) wagering accounttransfers to and from gaming devices; (d) wagering account adjustments.

As used herein, race-and-sports wagering account generally means anelectronic ledger wherein the following types of transactions relativeto sports and non-pari-mutuel race wagers are recorded: (a) deposits;(b) withdrawals; (c) amounts wagered; (d) amounts paid on winningwagers; (e) amounts paid for horse racing-related services ormerchandise; (f) service or other transaction-related charges authorizedby the patron; and (g) adjustments to the account.

As described in more detail below, a transaction facilitator cangenerally direct or enable transactions with the issuing financialinstitution to affect the increasing and decreasing of an accountbalance of the financial account. A transaction facilitator can alsogenerally direct or enable transactions with a computing system thatmanages a gaming account of a gaming environment to affect theincreasing and decreasing of an account balance of the gaming account.The issuing financial institution can also receive communicationsrelated to the financial account in a traditional fashion via an opensystem from merchants through existing bank card networks. Suchcommunications can authorize/decline purchases using funds held in thefinancial account.

In some embodiments, a player can be associated with a unique playeridentifier that can be used by a casino or other gaming environment toidentify a particular player. Such a player identifier may be issuedsubsequent to the player enrolling in a casino loyalty program, forexample. In some cases, the unique player identifier is embossed on aplayer card, sometimes referred to as a loyalty card, or is otherwiseaccessible or presentable by a player. In some embodiments, the playeridentifier can be a graphical code, such as a quick-response (QR) codedisplayable on a mobile computing device or the player identifier can bea barcode printed on a keychain fob or other substrate. The playeridentifier can be transferred via non-contacting communications betweena mobile computing device and a gaming device. In any event, the playeridentifier can be provided to a gaming device or casino representativeto enable the casino to centrally track the player's wagering activity.The player identifier is linked by the issuing entity (such as a casino)a loyalty profile that can be stored or otherwise maintained by customerrelationship software that is maintained by the casino or on behalf ofthe casino by an affiliated service provider.

As described in more detail below, a player identifier for a particularplayer can be linked to, or otherwise associated with, a financialaccount held by a financial institution and accessible by the particularplayer. Such a linkage or association offers a variety of benefits, bothto players and an associated casino. For example, in one exampleimplementation, a player can interact with a gaming device (such as aslot machine) by providing a player identifier to the device. In somecases, additional credentials, such as a PIN or password, can beprovided by the player. Through network communications, the gamingdevice can communicate with various computing platforms, such as a slotmanagement system and/or casino management system, which generally maybe referred to as a casino computing system, to authenticate theplayer's identity. Once authenticated, the player can selectively accessfunds that are maintained in the financial account of an issuingfinancial institution for use at the gaming device. The casino computingsystem can communicate with a transaction facilitator (such as throughAPI-calls, or other suitable communication techniques) to provide theinformation to identify the player that is seeking to access funds. Inone embodiment, a player identifier of the player is provided to thetransaction facilitator. As described in more detail below, the playeridentifier can be the loyalty account number or other type ofidentifier. The transaction facilitator can also store the registeredfinancial account information for the player, with the financialinformation being associated with one or more payment vehicles. Thus,when the player identifier is provided to the transaction facilitator,the transaction facilitator in turn, can determine a financial accountassociated with that player. Through closed network communications withthe issuing financial institution associated with that financialaccount, the transaction facilitator can dispatch appropriate messagingto seek authorization to debit the financial account. Such authorizationmay be an authorization request transmitted through an electronicpayment network. The authorization request can include variousinformation, such as a merchant category code (MCC), requested amount offunds to be authorized, payment vehicle information, cardholderidentification information, and so forth. The request can be routedthrough the appropriate payment network based on the payment vehicle toa payment vehicle issuer. Example payment networks include the VISA,MASTERCARD, DISCOVER, and AMERICAN EXPRESS payment networks. The paymentvehicle issuer can receive the request and determine whether toauthorize the funds. A response to the authorization request is thenprovided through return communications. Based on the response, thetransaction initiated at the gaming device is either approved or denied.Indication of authorization can be provided to the casino computingsystem by the transaction facilitator. The indication of authorizationalong with other relevant data, such as a timestamp, transaction amount,card type, and so forth, can also be stored by the transactionfacilitator in a data store. Such records can be used for variousaccounting-related purposes, such as reconciliation and accountbalancing. The records can also be utilized for gaming-related purposes,such as for management of responsible gaming protocols and the like. Thecasino computing system can then credit a one or more gaming accounts ofthe player to increase their available balance. Funds, in the form ofgaming credits, can then be distributed to the gaming device (sometimesreferred to as a wagering account transfer in “WAT in”). At a laterpoint in time, when the player wishes to “cash out,” the credits of thegaming device can be transferred to a gaming account (sometimes referredto as a wagering account transfer out “WAT out”). Once received into thegaming account, the gaming credits can be converted to a fund amount andused to credit the financial account, dispensed in the form of a ticketor currency, held in the gaming account, or even transferred to anothergaming account.

In some cases, funds that are cashed back out from the wagering accountto a financial account associated may be subject to certain velocitylimits implemented by the financial institution holding the financialaccount. The velocity limits may restrict, for instance, the amount offunds that can be placed back into the financial account in a certaintimeframe. In order to decrease possible rejections by the financialinstitution due to exceeding of the velocity thresholds, the transactionfacilitator can utilize logic to monitor for transactional activity thatexceeds the preset velocity threshold. Any requests to post funds backto a financial account that exceed the velocity set by that financialinstitution can be rejected at the transaction facilitator level, suchthat transaction never actually makes it to the financial institutionfor processing.

In some embodiments, various transfers described below can be performedin substantially real-time. As used herein, substantially real-timemeans generally less than about 20 minutes, generally less than about 10minutes, generally less that about 5 minutes, generally less than about1 minutes, or generally less than about 30 seconds. Therefore, in theexample described above, subsequent to the player “cashing out”, thefunds transferred to the financial account can be accessible to makepurchases using the associated payment vehicle in substantiallyreal-time.

In some embodiments, various transfers described below can be performedsubsequent to a funding delay or subject to certain transaction velocitylimits, as may be controlled or otherwise implemented by the transactionfacilitator. The funding delay may be greater than 5 minutes, 10minutes, or 20 minutes, or any other suitable period of time. The lengthof the delay can be set by, for instance, a governing authority, agaming operator and/or a user. The length of delay can be universal, orvary per user or per groups of users. Transaction velocity generallyrelates to a number of transactions initiated by a consumer over acertain period of time using either one payment vehicle and/or acrossmore than one payment vehicles. Such velocity checks can be associatedwith using the payment vehicle to fund a wagering account and/orpurchase chips (i.e., for a table game). Running velocity checks canensure that a certain payment vehicle can only be used a certain numberof times in a given 24-hour period, for instance. Facilitating a fundingdelay and transaction velocity monitoring may assist with responsiblegaming considerations.

Further, in various embodiments, the transaction facilitator, or otherentity, may conduct an address verification check between the paymentvehicle used for the transaction and the registered address on thewagering account. Some implementations in accordance with the presentdisclosure may require the payment vehicle holder (sometimes called acardholder) to provide identifying information such as name, address,date of birth, social security number, and/or other information prior tofirst usage. Such information can be used in connection with a Know YourCustomer (KYC) compliance program or for other compliance-relatedconsiderations. The compliance data associate with the payment vehiclecan also be cross-verified with the compliance data of the wageringaccount provider for verification purposes. A certain number of playeridentifiers (i.e., loyalty card numbers, etc.) to a certain number ofdebit and credit card numbers, in its system.

In some embodiments, the transaction facilitator, or other appropriateentity, can maintain a self-exclusion list, based on payment vehiclecard numbers. As such, a player can selectively exclude a certainpayment vehicles that are prohibited from funding wagering accountsuntil the player affirmatively states that they wish to use that paymentvehicle again.

Embodiments are hereinafter described in detail in connection FIGS. 1-6, wherein like numbers indicate the same or corresponding elementsthroughout the figures. It is noted that reference throughout thespecification to “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “oneembodiment,” “some example embodiments,” “one example embodiment,” or“an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in variousembodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment,” “some exampleembodiments,” “one example embodiment, or “in an embodiment” in placesthroughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematically illustrates an association between a paymentvehicle 116 and a gaming account 188 in accordance with one embodimentof the present disclosure. The gaming account 188 can be associated witha gaming environment 102. As used herein, gaming environment can referto, without limitation, a brick-and-mortar casino and/or an online orvirtual casino. In some cases, the gaming environment also extends toentities or services, such as third party computer systems generallycontrolled by or operated on behalf of a casino operator. FIG. 2Adepicts an example system view and flow process 100 utilizing thepayment vehicle 116 in accordance with one non-limiting embodiment.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2A, a player 114 can be issued the paymentvehicle 116 that is associated with a financial account 128 maintainedby an issuer processor computing system 126. The issuer processorcomputing system 126 can be a system used to maintain and/or processtransactions associated with the payment vehicle 116 and the financialaccount 128. The payment vehicle 116 can be a physical card, a virtualcard, or any other suitable type of vehicle. In some embodiments, thepayment vehicle 116 is a credit payment vehicle or a debit creditvehicle. As such, the payment vehicle 116 can be an “open-loop card,”which a consumer can use anywhere that accepts payment from a retailelectronic payments network associated with the payment vehicle, such asMASTERCARD, VISA, DISCOVER, and so forth, as discussed above.

The account type of the financial account 128 can vary based on the typeof payment vehicle 116. For payment vehicles that are debit-basedinstruments, the financial account can be a demand deposit account(DDA), such as a checking account. As such, using the payment vehicle tofund a wagering account, or make other types of purchases, functions todecrease the available balance of the financial account 128. For paymentvehicles that are credit-based instruments, the financial accountreference an available credit limit usable by the cardholder. Using thepayment vehicle to fund a wagering account, or make other types ofpurchases, functions to decrease the available credit limit of thefinancial account 128. For the sake of clarity, decreasing the availablecredit limit of the financial account 128 for credit payment vehiclesmay be referred to herein as decreasing the balance of the financialaccount 128. The player 114 can fund (i.e., increase the availablebalance) the financial account 128 through traditional techniques, suchas by transfers funds from a demand access account (DDA), deposit cash,and so forth. The approach for increasing the balance of the financialaccount 128 may depend on the type of associated financial account. Thepayment vehicle 116 can be used by the player 114 to make purchases at avariety of merchant types. As shown in FIG. 2A, non-limiting exampletypes of merchants include a brick-and-mortar merchant 118, an onlinemerchant 120, an ATM machine 122, and a service provider 124.Accordingly, the payment vehicle 116 can be used to facilitate thetransfer of funds from the financial account 128 through purchasetransactions (schematically illustrated as transactions 132, 134, 136,and 138). In some cases, a particular merchant may be associated withthe gaming environment 102, such as affiliated merchant 112. Exampleaffiliated merchants 112 can include, without limitation, on-propertyretailers, restaurants, and hotels. While the affiliated merchant 112 isillustrated as being within the gaming environment 102, this disclosureis not so limited. In some embodiments the affiliated merchant 112 is anonline merchant, for example. The payment vehicle 116 can be used for apurchase transaction 130 at such affiliated merchants 112. As describedin more detail below, the systems and methods described herein can allowfor the payment vehicle 116 to additional fund one or more wageringaccounts 104, such as usable for gameplay at a slot machine, table game,and/or to purchase chips, and/or for other wagering purposes.

A gaming account 188 can be associated with the casino environment 102.As used herein, a gaming account 188 can be any type of financialaccount (i.e., electronic ledger) that is associated with a player, orcollection of financial accounts that are associated with a player, andmaintained by a casino, or at least on behalf of a casino. While FIG. 1schematically shows one gaming account 188 for the sake of clarity, itis to be appreciated that the player 114 and/or the payment vehicle 116can be associated with any number of gaming accounts 188. Further, thegaming account 188 can be any suitable account type. In FIG. 2A, forexample, the gaming accounts associated with the player 114 areillustrated as wagering accounts 104. In other embodiments, such asdescribed below in connection with FIG. 2B and FIG. 4 , for example, thegaming account 188 can comprise a casino level player account. Stillreferring to FIG. 1 , In accordance with the systems and methodsdescribed herein, the player 114 can selectively direct funds 116Aassociated with the payment vehicle 116 to the gaming account 188.Directing the funds 116A from the financial account 128 to the gamingaccount 188 can be in response to an authorization request transmittedover the appropriate payment networks to seek authorization from theissuer processor computing system 126. In accordance with someimplementations, the player 114 can also selectively direct funds 116Bassociated with the gaming account 188 to payment vehicle 116. Directedfunds 116B to the payment vehicle 116 can utilize any suitable type oftransaction, such as an Original Credit Transaction (OCT), arefund-based payments processing, or the like. Such posting of funds tothe payment vehicle 116 (i.e., to the financial account associatedtherewith) can use open-loop payment rails and may be subject tovelocity thresholds set by the associated financial institution, and insome implementations monitored by a transaction facilitator, asdescribed in more detail below. Thus, in accordance with someembodiments of the disclosure, the player 114 can transfer funds, eitherin real-time or subject to a transaction delay, and in some cases backand forth, between a financial account 128 and the gaming account 188 ofthe player 114.

In some embodiments, the directed funds 116A are transferred (i.e.credited) to the destination account in substantially real time as toallow nearly immediate access to the funds for wagering purposes by theplayer. In other embodiments, a “pause” between an initiated transferand an availability of the transferred funds can be implemented. Forexample, to the extent that regulators and responsible gaming advocatesbelieve that a “pause” is significant to minimize reckless gaming, thesystems and methods described herein are adaptable to institute certaindelay in accessing funds. In some embodiments, the directed funds 116Bare transferred to the payment vehicle 116 (or account associatedtherewith) in substantially real time as to allow nearly immediateaccess to the funds via use of the payment vehicle 116 by the player. Inother embodiments, a delay between an initiated transfer and anavailability of the transferred funds can be implemented. Also, withregard to funds 116A and/or funds 116B, additional regulation orlimitations on the fund transfers can be instituted, such as based ontransaction amount, transaction velocity, payment vehicle type, and soforth.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the gaming environment 102 can maintain a playerloyalty account 152 associated with the player 114. During theenrollment process, an address of the player 114 can be received andassociated with the player loyalty account 152. In accordance with thepresent disclosure, one or more payment vehicles 116 can also beassociated with the player loyalty account 152. As such, in associationwith transferring funds from the financial account 128 to the wageringaccount 104, an address verification check between the payment vehicle116 used for the transaction and the registered address on the wageringaccount 104 and/or the player loyalty account 151 can be performed.Using the player loyalty account 152 to link to the payment vehicle 116of the player 114 allows for the player 114 to generally access fundsassociated with the payment vehicle 116 at a gaming device or topurchase chip, etc., without having to provide the payment vehicle 116itself to initiate the transaction.

Referring still to FIG. 2A, gaming accounts associated with the player114 are shown as wagering accounts 104, which can be managed bymanagement computing system (not shown) affiliated with the gamingenvironment 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the wagering accounts104 include a brick-and-mortar wagering account 106, a race-and-sportwagering account 108, and an iGaming wagering account 110. Thebrick-and-mortar wagering account 106 is generally an electronic ledgerassociated with a player's table and slot wagers. The race-and-sportwagering account 108 is generally an electronic ledger associated with aplayer's sports and non-pari-mutuel race wagers. The iGaming wageringaccount 110 is generally an electronic ledger associated with a player'sonline wagers, such as online poker and virtual gaming. It is noted thatin some jurisdictions, gaming regulations forbid the transferring of aplayer's funds stored in one wagering account 106, 108, 110 directly toanother wagering account 106, 108, 110.

FIG. 2B depicts another embodiment of the system view and flow process100 illustrated in FIG. 2A. As shown in FIG. 2B, the system view andflow process 200 additionally comprises a gaming account that is acasino level player account 250. The casino level player account 250 canbe generally an electronic ledger associated with a player. It can alsobe associated one or more wagering accounts 104. The casino level playeraccount 250 can offer a variety of functionality to the player 114. Forexample, a player 114 can direct funds associated with their financialaccount 128 to the casino level player account 250, which may bereferred to as an electronic wallet. In certain embodiments, the player114 can direct funds stored in one of the wagering accounts 104 or othergaming account to the casino level player account 250. The player 114can then direct the funds held in the casino level player account 250 toa different wagering account 104. Additional details regarding exampletransfers of funds are described below in connection with FIG. 4 .Further, in some embodiments, the funds held in the casino level playeraccount 250 may be usable for gaming across two or more wageringactivities, as may be permitted in various gaming jurisdictions, suchthat the casino level player account 250 is a consolidated wageringaccount. In some embodiments, the player 114 can selectively utilizefunds held by the casino level player account 250 for closed-loop pointof sale transactions, either retail transactions (such as at anaffiliated merchant 112) or closed-loop cash outs, all while enjoyingreduced interchange fees due to the closed-loop nature of thetransactions. Therefore, in some cases, performing transactions withfunds in the casino level player account 250 is less costly to thegaming operator of the casino environment 102 and to the player 114. Forsome implementations comprising a casino level player account 250, whena player 114 directs funds 116A into the gaming environment 102, theplayer 116 can still direct them to a particular wagering account 104,as illustrated. In other implementations comprising a casino levelplayer account 250, a player 114 can direct funds 116A into the casinolevel player account 250. The player 114 can subsequently direct thosefunds to a particular wagering account 104 or use the funds forclosed-loop transactions.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of an association between apayment vehicle 316 and a gaming account 388 in accordance with onenon-limiting embodiment. Similar to FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, the paymentvehicle 316 can be a credit or debit payment vehicle that is issued to aplayer 314, and in accordance with the systems and methods describedherein, the player 314 can selectively direct the transfer of funds 316Ainto a gaming account 388 of a casino environment 302. The player 314can also direct the transfer of funds 316B from the gaming account 388(i.e., “cash out”) by transferring funds to the payment vehicle 116 viaa transaction, such as an Original Credit Transaction (OCT). As is to beappreciated, the gaming account 388 illustrated in FIG. 3 can be,without limitation, a wagering account, a casino level player account,or a combination thereof and the payment vehicle 316 is linked to afinancial account (not shown).

In this embodiment, the gaming environment 302 is linked to a playerloyalty database 350 which stores data in the form of a player loyaltyprofile 352 associated with the player 314. The player loyalty profile352 can include data associated with the gaming history of the player314, incentives, comps, and other tracking-related information, as isknown in the art. The loyalty profile 352 can also include informationrelated to fund transfer data, as illustrated by data capturing 354.Accordingly, the player loyalty profile 352 can include, for example,dates of transfers, amounts of transfers, times of transfers, number oftransfers, payment card type associated with transfers, and so forth.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates example cash flows between examplegaming accounts associated with a player 414 along with the cash flowsbetween the gaming accounts and payment vehicle 416 issued to theplayer. In the illustrated embodiments, the gaming accounts in thecasino environment 402 are shown as a casino level player account aplurality of wagering accounts. In accordance with the systems andmethods described herein, the player 414 can selectively direct thetransfer of funds 416A into a casino level player account 450. In someimplementations, the player 514 can also direct the transfer of funds516B from the casino level player account 550. As is to be appreciated,the payment vehicle 416 is linked to a financial account (not shown).For funds held by the casino level player account 450, the player 414can selectively transfer a portion (or all) of the funds in and out ofvarious wagering accounts 406, 408, 410, shown as wagering account 1,wagering account 2 and wagering account 3. The player 414 can alsoutilize the casino level player account 440 to initiate financialtransactions at an affiliated merchant 412 as a closed-loop transaction.The affiliated merchant 412 can be, for example, a retailer on a casinoproperty, an ATM, or other type of closed-loop merchant.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of another example gaming systemand flow process 500 in accordance with one non-limiting embodiment.This gaming system and flow process 500 includes a networked gamingdevice 576, such as a slot machine, a casino kiosk, casino gaming pitcomputing system, sports book computing system, and so forth. As isgenerally known in the art, the gaming device 576 can be in networkedcommunication with a variety of computer-based entities, such as a slotmanagement system (SMS) 572 and a casino management system (CMS) 574. Insome gaming environments, the SMS 572 and the CMS 574 may collectivelybe considered components of a casino computing system. The networkedarrangement can include wired and/or wireless communication links.Examples of suitable networks can include a local area network (LAN),virtual private network (VPN), an Internet connection, and/or any othernetwork configuration that is capable to enable the CMS 574 and SMS 572to communicate with the gaming device 576 and other devices. Thenetworked arrangement can provide two-way communications between the CMS674 and SMS 572 and gaming device 576. In the illustrated embodiment,the CMS 574 maintains a player loyalty profile 512 for a player 514 andmaintains gaming accounts for the player 514, shown as wagering account514. Other embodiments however can use different configurations withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, theplayer loyalty profile 512 may be maintained by a third-party customerrelationship management service or the casino gaming system.

The gaming system can comprise one or more gaming accounts (shown as asingle gaming account 588 in FIG. 5 for the sake of illustration). Whilethe gaming account 588 is schematically shown within the CMS 574, othergaming environments can maintain the gaming account 588 elsewhere, suchas by a separate wagering account management entity or a third-partywagering account provider. In the illustrated embodiment, the gamingaccount comprises a brick-and-mortar gaming account, so that gamingcredits can be provided to the meter 580 of the gaming device 576, asdescribed below.

A payment vehicle 516, such as a debit or credit card, or other suitabletype of payment vehicle, is issued to the player 514 by a bank or otherfinancial entity. A player identifier 570 is also assigned to the player514 so that an operator of the gaming environment 502 can properlyidentify the player 514. In some embodiment, the player identifier 570is expressed as a number or string that is provided to the player 514 ona physical card (such as a loyalty card or player's card). In otherembodiments, the player identifier 570 can be graphical-based or bechip-based and utilize near-field communication (NFC) protocols, forexample. In any event, as illustrated in FIG. 5 , the player identifier570 is provided to an input device 578 of the gaming device 576. As isto be appreciated, the particular type of input device 578 used to readthe player identifier 570 will depend on the particular format of theplayer identifier 570. In some embodiments, the input device 578 is amagnetic card reader, while in other embodiments the input device 578 isan optical scanner. In some embodiments, in addition to providing theplayer identifier 570, additional credentials (such as a PIN) must beprovided by the player 514 for authentication purposes.

Upon receiving the player identifier 570, along with any othercredentials, the gaming device 576 provides the data to the SMS 572and/or the CMS 574 through network communications. Upon authenticatingthe identification of the player 514, various types of financialtransactions related to the payment vehicle 516 and/or the gamingaccount 588 can be offered to the player 514. In some embodiments, suchofferings are provided on a graphical display on the gaming device, asprovided to the gaming device 576 by communications from the SMS 572and/or CMS 574. In one embodiment, for example, an available balance ina financial account associated with the payment vehicle 516 is displayedto the player 514. Additional details regarding the retrieval of theavailable balance using a transaction facilitator is described in moredetail below with regard to FIG. 7 . The gaming device 576 can request adollar amount be inputted by the player 514 and once the player 514selects a dollar amount, a transfer of funds 516A can be initiated todirect funds associated with the payment vehicle 516 to the gamingaccount 588. For instance, an authorization request can be transmittedthrough the appropriate payment network to an issuer of payment vehicle516 requesting funds in the denomination selected by the player 514. Insome embodiments, full address verification of the address associatedwith the player identifier 570 and the address associated with thepayment vehicle 516 is performed prior to the transfer of funds.Further, other limitations on funds transfers can be imposed, asdiscussed above, such as transaction velocity limits.

Depending on the type of gaming account 588 associated with the player,the funds can be transferred directly into a wagering account associatedwith the gaming device 576. Alternatively, funds can be received in acasino level player account and subsequently transferred to a wageringaccount associated with the gaming device 576. In any event, uponreceipt of the funds 516A, the funds can be converted to gaming credits.The gaming credits 582 can then be metered into gaming device 576 by itsmeter 580. The player can then use the gaming credits for wagering atthe gaming device 576, as is known in the art.

At the conclusion of a gaming session, the player 614 may initiate a“cash out” action at the gaming device 576. The gaming device 576 canprompt the player 514 to select a “cash out” technique, such as printinga ticket for subsequent redemption, a cash-based payout, or pushingfunds to a casino level player account. In some embodiments, the player514 may be provided with the option to transfer gaming credits 682 tothe payment vehicle 616 in the form of funds. In such embodiments, whenthe player 614 initiates a “cash out” action at the gaming device 676,the gaming device 676 can prompt the player 614 to select the “cash out”technique, which can include an identification of a payment vehicle towhich funds can be transferred. Should the player 614 choose the latter,the gaming credits 682 can be first transferred out of the gaming device676 and into the gaming account 688, where it is converted to funds.Then a transfer of funds 616B is initiated using a open-loopcommunications with the financial institution maintaining the financialaccount to credit that account. Such transfer of funds 616B may besubject to velocity thresholds or other transfer limitations. Asdescribed in more detail below, a transaction facilitator can be used tofacilitate the transmission of such credit and debit messaging. From theperspective of the player 614, the gaming credits that had beenassociated with the gaming device 676 are converted to funds that areavailable for access by the player's payment vehicle 616. Suchconversion of gaming credits to available funds for access by thepayment vehicle 616 can be in substantially real-time.

FIG. 6 is an example arrangement 600 of a transaction facilitator 690interacting with both a gaming environment 602 and an issuer processorcomputing system 626, in accordance with one non-limiting embodiment.Generally, the transaction facilitator 690 receives financialtransaction communications from the gaming environment 602. In someenvironments, such messages are received via a communications network,such as the SPAN′ network offered by Sightline Interactive LLC of LasVegas, Nev. In some embodiments, the communications are received throughan application programing interface (API) or other web-based messaging.The transaction facilitator 690 can also be in closed communication withthe issuer processor computing system 626 that maintains the financialaccount 628 associated with a payment vehicle 616. Additionally oralternatively, the transaction facilitator 690 can also be communicationwith the issuer processor computing system 626 through a paymentnetwork. It is noted that while the transaction facilitator 690 isschematically illustrated as a single entity, it is to be appreciatedthat this disclosure is not so limited. Instead, the functionality ofthe transaction facilitator 690, as described herein, can be distributedacross, or otherwise performed by, a plurality of various entities, suchpayment gateways, acquirer processors, and other types of paymentintermediaries. Also, the transaction facilitator 690, or at leastcomponents thereof, can reside within the gaming environment 602 or becontrolled by an operator of the gaming environment. In such embodiment,the transaction facilitator 690 can be configured to communicate withthe issuer processor computing system 626 through a securedcommunication link. Further, the transaction facilitator 690, or atleast components thereof, can be controlled by the issuer processorcomputing system 626. Therefore, the transaction facilitator 690 may beoperated by, or otherwise controlled by a variety of different entities.The transaction facilitator 690 can also have a one-to-one processingrelationship with the gaming environment 602, as illustrated. It is tobe appreciated, however, that the transaction facilitator 690 can alsohave a one-to-many configuration such that it has a processingrelationship with a plurality of different gaming environments.

The casino computing system 620, which can include one or moreprocessors 622 and one or more computer memory units 624, can processthe player identifier. For convenience, only one processor 622 and onlyone memory unit 624 are shown in FIG. 6 . The processor 622 can executesoftware instructions stored on the memory unit 624. The processor 622can be implemented as an integrated circuit (IC) having one or multiplecores. The memory unit 624 can include volatile and/or non-volatilememory units. Volatile memory units can include random access memory(RAM), for example. Non-volatile memory units can include read onlymemory (ROM), for example, as well as mechanical non-volatile memorysystems, such as, for example, a hard disk drive, an optical disk drive,etc. The RAM and/or ROM memory units can be implemented as discretememory ICs, for example. In some embodiments, the casino computingsystem 620 can execute the slot management system and the casinomanagement system described above.

Similar to input of the player identifier 670 described in FIG. 6 , aplayer identifier 670 associated with the player 614 can be provided tothe input device 678 of a gaming device 676. The gaming device can haveone or more displays 684. The player identifier 670 can be used toidentify a player loyalty profile 612 of the player. The casinocomputing system 620 can be configured to transmit the player identifier670, or other player identifying data, to the transaction facilitator690 using a suitable network interface 686.

Upon receiving the player identifier 670, or other player identifyingdata, the transaction facilitator 690 can match the player identifyingdata to a particular financial account 628, as can be maintained by aplayer database 692. In some implementations, the player identifier 670is linked to the financial account 628 by way of an associated paymentvehicle 616. Further, the player identifier 670 may be linked to aplurality of payment vehicle(s) 616 and/or a plurality of financialaccount(s) 628 from which funds may be used by the player 614 to loadinto the gaming device 676. While the player database 692 is illustratedas a component of the transaction facilitator 692, this disclosure isnot so limited. Such information can be stored by any suitable entity inthe system hierarchy, including by an entity within the gamingenvironment 602. It is noted, however, that by maintaining the playerdatabase 692 outside the gaming environment 602, Payment Card Industry(PCI) compliance requirements of the gaming environment 602 may bereduced.

Once the financial account 628 of the player 614 has been identified bythe transaction facilitator 690, the transaction facilitator 690 cantransmit the appropriate messaging to the issuer processor computingsystem 626. For example, messages may include a balance inquiry, anauthorization request, and so forth. For fund transfers, the transactionfacilitator 690 can facilitate the message flow to affect the transfersof funds 628A by debiting the financial account 628 and crediting thegaming account 688 or the message flow to affect the transfers of funds628B by debiting the gaming account 788 and crediting the financialaccount 628. In some embodiments, such transfer of funds 628A and/or628B may be subject to limits, such as to provide limitations to anamount of funds that can be transferred in a single transaction, anamount of transactions that can occur over a particular period of time,or other suitable limitations. As described above, funds transferredinto the gaming account 688 can be converted to gaming credits 682 forgaming at the gaming device 676. Alternatively, depending on the type ofthe gaming account 688, the funds can be used for other types of gaming,such as iGaming, race-and-sports gaming, and so forth.

Any element expressed herein as a means for performing a specifiedfunction is intended to encompass any way of performing that functionincluding, for example, a combination of elements that performs thatfunction. Furthermore the invention, as may be defined by suchmeans-plus-function claims, resides in the fact that the functionalitiesprovided by the various recited means are combined and brought togetherin a manner as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, any means thatcan provide such functionalities may be considered equivalents to themeans shown herein.

Moreover, the processes associated with the present embodiments may beexecuted by programmable equipment, such as computers. Software or othersets of instructions that may be employed to cause programmableequipment to execute the processes may be stored in any storage device,such as, for example, a computer system (non-volatile) memory, anoptical disk, magnetic tape, or magnetic disk. Furthermore, some of theprocesses may be programmed when the computer system is manufactured orvia a computer-readable memory medium.

It can also be appreciated that certain process aspects described hereinmay be performed using instructions stored on a computer-readable memorymedium or media that direct a computer or computer system to performprocess steps. A computer-readable medium may include, for example,memory devices such as diskettes, compact discs of both read-only andread/write varieties, optical disk drives, and hard disk drives. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium may also include memory storagethat may be physical, virtual, permanent, temporary, semi-permanentand/or semi-temporary.

A “computer,” “computer system,” “host,” “engine,” or “processor” maybe, for example and without limitation, a processor, microcomputer,minicomputer, server, mainframe, laptop, personal data assistant (PDA),wireless e-mail device, cellular phone, pager, processor, fax machine,scanner, or any other programmable device configured to transmit and/orreceive data over a network. Computer systems and computer-based devicesdisclosed herein may include memory for storing certain softwareapplications used in obtaining, processing, and communicatinginformation. It can be appreciated that such memory may be internal orexternal with respect to operation of the disclosed embodiments. Thememory may also include any means for storing software, including a harddisk, an optical disk, floppy disk, ROM (read only memory), RAM (randomaccess memory), PROM (programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasablePROM) and/or other computer-readable memory media.

In various embodiments of the present invention, a single component maybe replaced by multiple components, and multiple components may bereplaced by a single component, to perform a given function orfunctions. Except where such substitution would not be operative topractice embodiments of the present invention, such substitution iswithin the scope of the present invention. Any of the servers describedherein, for example, may be replaced by a “server farm” or othergrouping of networked servers (e.g., a group of server blades) that arelocated and configured for cooperative functions. It can be appreciatedthat a server farm may serve to distribute workload between/amongindividual components of the farm and may expedite computing processesby harnessing the collective and cooperative power of multiple servers.Such server farms may employ load-balancing software that accomplishestasks such as, for example, tracking demand for processing power fromdifferent machines, prioritizing and scheduling tasks based on networkdemand, and/or providing backup contingency in the event of componentfailure or reduction in operability.

The examples presented herein are intended to illustrate potential andspecific implementations. It can be appreciated that the examples areintended primarily for purposes of illustration of the invention forthose skilled in the art. No particular aspect or aspects of theexamples are necessarily intended to limit the scope of the presentdisclosure. For example, no particular aspect or aspects of the examplesof system architectures, table layouts, or report formats describedherein are necessarily intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

In general, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art thatvarious embodiments described herein, or components or parts thereof,may be implemented in many different embodiments of software, firmware,and/or hardware, or modules thereof. The software code or specializedcontrol hardware used to implement some of the present embodiments isnot limiting of the present invention. Such software may be stored onany type of suitable computer-readable medium or media such as, forexample, a magnetic or optical storage medium. Thus, the operation andbehavior of the embodiments are described without specific reference tothe actual software code or specialized hardware components. The absenceof such specific references is feasible because it is clearly understoodthat artisans of ordinary skill would be able to design software andcontrol hardware to implement the embodiments of the present disclosurebased on the description herein with only a reasonable effort andwithout undue experimentation.

In various embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may beconfigured and/or programmed to include one or more of theabove-described electronic, computer-based elements and components. Inaddition, these elements and components may be particularly configuredto execute the various rules, algorithms, programs, processes, andmethod steps described herein.

While various embodiments have been described herein, it should beapparent, however, that various modifications, alterations andadaptations to those embodiments may occur to persons skilled in the artwith the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the presentdisclosure. The disclosed embodiments are therefore intended to includeall such modifications, alterations and adaptations without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the present disclosure as set forth in theappended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A computer-based method of transferringfunds between a financial account and a gaming account, the methodperformed by one or more computing devices comprising instructionsstored in a memory, which when executed by one or more processors of theone or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devicesto perform the method comprising: associating in computer memory of theone or more computing devices, the financial account of a player with aplayer loyalty account identifier of a gaming environment, wherein thefinancial account holds a balance of funds maintained by a computingsystem; receiving, by any of the one or more computing devices, arequest to transfer a first amount of funds from the financial accountmaintained by the computing system into the gaming account maintained bythe casino computing system of the gaming environment, wherein therequest does not identify the financial account, wherein the request totransfer comprises the player loyalty account identifier of the player,wherein the player loyalty account identifier is associated with thegaming account having a balance maintained by a casino computing systemof the gaming environment; identifying, by any of the one or morecomputing devices, the financial account based on the association of thefinancial account and the player loyalty account identifier in thecomputer memory of the one or more computing devices; subsequent todetermining that the requested transfer satisfies a velocity checkinstructing, by any of the one or more computing devices, the computingsystem to decrease the balance of the financial account, wherein thevelocity check determines whether a number of times the financialaccount has been used to fund the gaming account within a time periodexceeds a threshold number of times; and subsequent to determining thatthe requested transfer satisfies the velocity check instructing, by anyof the one or more computing devices, the casino computing system toincrease the balance of the gaming account, wherein the balance of thegaming account is usable for wagering.
 2. The computer-based method ofclaim 1, wherein the gaming account is a first gaming account, themethod further comprising: subsequent to the increase of the balance ofthe first gaming account, receiving by any of the one or more computingdevices, a request to transfer an amount of funds from the first gamingaccount to a second gaming account; causing, by any of the one or morecomputing devices, an increase of the balance of the financial accountand a decrease of the balance of the first gaming account; and causing,by any of the one or more computing devices, a decrease of the balanceof the financial account and an increase of the balance of the secondgaming account.
 3. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein thegaming account is a first gaming account, the method further comprising:causing, by any of the one or more computing devices, a decrease of thebalance of the first gaming account and an increase of the balance of asecond gaming account.
 4. The computer-based method of claim 3, themethod further comprising: subsequent to the increase of the balance ofsecond gaming account, receiving by any of the one or more computingdevices, a request to transfer an amount of funds from the second gamingaccount to a third gaming account; causing, by any of the one or morecomputing devices, an increase of the balance of the first gamingaccount and a decrease of the balance of the second gaming account; andcausing, by any of the one or more computing devices, an increase of abalance of the third gaming account and a decrease of the balance of thefirst gaming account.
 5. The computer-based method of claim 1, whereinthe gaming account is any of a wagering account, a casino level playeraccount, and a metered gaming credit account.
 6. The computer-basedmethod of claim 1, wherein increasing of the balance of the gamingaccount occurs subsequent to a delay.
 7. A computer-based method oftransferring funds between a financial account and a gaming account, themethod performed by one or more computing devices comprisinginstructions stored in a memory, which when executed by one or moreprocessors of the one or more computing devices, cause the one or morecomputing devices to perform the method comprising: associating incomputer memory of the one or more computing devices, the financialaccount of a player with a player loyalty account identifier of a gamingenvironment, wherein the financial account holds a balance of fundsmaintained by a computing system; receiving, by any of the one or morecomputing devices, a request to transfer a first amount of funds fromthe financial account maintained by the computing system and associatedwith the player loyalty account identifier of the gaming environmentinto the gaming account maintained by the casino computing system of thegaming environment, wherein the request does not identify the financialaccount, wherein the request to transfer comprises the player loyaltyaccount identifier of the player, wherein the player loyalty accountidentifier is associated with the gaming account having a balancemaintained by a casino computing system of the gaming environment; onlyif the requested transfer satisfies a velocity check instructing, by anyof the one or more computing devices, the computing system to decreasethe balance of the financial account; and only if the requested transfersatisfies the velocity check instructing, by any of the one or morecomputing devices, the casino computing system to increase the balanceof the gaming account, wherein the balance of the gaming account isusable for wagering.
 8. The computer-based method of claim 7, whereinthe gaming account is a first gaming account, the method furthercomprising: subsequent to the increase of the balance of the firstgaming account, receiving by any of the one or more computing devices, arequest to transfer an amount of funds from the first gaming account toa second gaming account; causing, by any of the one or more computingdevices, an increase of the balance of the financial account and adecrease of the balance of the first gaming account; and causing, by anyof the one or more computing devices, a decrease of the balance of thefinancial account and an increase of the balance of the second gamingaccount.
 9. The computer-based method of claim 7, wherein the gamingaccount is a first gaming account, the method further comprising:causing, by any of the one or more computing devices, a decrease of thebalance of the first gaming account and an increase of the balance of asecond gaming account.
 10. The computer-based method of claim 9, themethod further comprising: subsequent to the increase of the balance ofsecond gaming account, receiving by any of the one or more computingdevices, a request to transfer an amount of funds from the second gamingaccount to a third gaming account; causing, by any of the one or morecomputing devices, an increase of the balance of the first gamingaccount and a decrease of the balance of the second gaming account; andcausing, by any of the one or more computing devices, an increase of abalance of the third gaming account and a decrease of the balance of thefirst gaming account.
 11. The computer-based method of claim 7, whereinthe gaming account is any of a wagering account, a casino level playeraccount, and a metered gaming credit account.
 12. The computer-basedmethod of claim 7, wherein increasing of the balance of the gamingaccount occurs subsequent to a delay.
 13. The computer-based method ofclaim 7, wherein the financial account is associated with an open-looppayment vehicle.
 14. The computer-based method of claim 13, wherein theopen-loop payment vehicle is any of a debit payment vehicle and a creditpayment vehicle.
 15. The computer-based method of claim 14, whereinfunds held in the financial account are usable for payment transactionsat any of a plurality of merchants.